The Morning After
by SheeWolf85
Summary: You wake up in Stretch's bed with little to no recollection of the night before. You're pretty certain you slept with him and potentially ruined your friendship. What's worse is that you've been crushing on him for a long time now. Do you even stand a chance at romance with him anymore? UnderSwap Skelebros. Reader insert, OS (kinda), Rated M for language and mild sexual content.
1. The Morning After

A/N: This is the second of my WIPs that I found was actually completed but not posted, just waiting for me to gather the courage to post it. It's two parts, but only because this turned out different from what my original thought process was and I wanted to explore that original thought. The second part starts out the same way, but takes a drastically different direction in the middle. You'll see :)

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The Morning After

You wake up slowly to the smell of honey, cigarette smoke, and basil. The scent is intoxicating, inviting you to nuzzle your face closer to the source and suck in a deep breath. The pillow beneath your head is soft and the blankets warm. Despite the ache in your head, you had never felt more comfortable in all your life.

You take in another breath and your lips spread in a soft smile. You really didn't want to admit you were awake. You would highly prefer to stay snuggled up in warm blankets that smelled like the skeleton you'd been crushing on for the past two years.

Suddenly, your eyes spring open. Why, you wonder, were you enveloped by his scent? You take a moment to look around you. Although you'd been in Stretch's room before, you'd never been in his bed. Not even for a quick nap, regardless of how many times he'd invited you there. His invitations had never been sexual; he had merely insisted that you could sleep in his bed if you'd stayed too long playing video games or watching movies with him and his brother. Blue had offered his bed as well, and you likened Stretch's invitation to Blue's: friendly and polite. You'd never taken Blue up on his offer, either, worried you might cause tension between you and Stretch if he thought you were deliberately avoiding his offer.

So why were you now waking up in Stretch's bed? As you look around his room for the fifth time, trying to come to terms with the fact that you were actually where you thought you were, you thought over the events of the night before.

You had come to the summer party Blue had thrown for whatever occasion—the small-statured and energetic skeleton could turn almost anything into a reason for a party—and had indulged perhaps a little too much in the alcohol that had been brought. You remembered dancing with people you barely knew, human and monster alike, before finally dancing with Stretch. You may have let your inhibitions go a little too far. You remembered flirting with him. Stars be damned, you actually flirted with him. You'd even tried to kiss him.

You sigh and bring a hand up to your forehead. What had you done? You and the skeleton brothers had an easy friendship. You could drop by at any time to hang out, watch movies, vent your frustrations over your shitty job and careless friends, or anything you felt you needed. Blue was always quick to lend a metaphorical ear, and he had some of the best advice anyone had ever given you. Stretch never judged you, even when you broke down one night and confessed to thoughts of hurting yourself. He'd held you on the couch and listed off reasons you should love yourself instead.

That night had been the first time you realized you liked the skeleton more than as a friend. At first, you thought it was simply because of how vulnerable you'd been and how calmly he'd reacted, not taking advantage of your state or telling you that you were somehow broken. You'd had other friends who had done just that, and it never ended well.

So you never said anything to him. You didn't want to risk playing with his emotions if your feelings were going to fade back into friendship.

But they never did. Even after you fought about the stupidest of shit and you'd seen firsthand just how low his lows could be, you only felt more attracted to him. By the time you'd convinced yourself that maybe you wouldn't end up breaking his heart, he was already involved in a relationship. You refused to bring it up at that point. You would not be the one to put any strain on his happiness.

His relationship had lasted a full year before the girl cheated on him. It had torn him apart so fully that he swore he'd never commit to another relationship. You wanted to try to help him, but you weren't sure how. After that, you noticed his interest in women changed from steady partners to one-night stands. As badly as you wanted to be with him, you knew you wouldn't be able to handle being something fleeting to him. You wanted commitment, and he wasn't into that anymore.

You sit up and carefully drag a hand through your tousled hair. As you shifted to swing your legs over the edge of the bed, your body stilled. You look down at yourself and realize that you're wearing a tight blank tank top—no bra—and stringy thong underwear. On the floor next to bed were your far-too-short jean shorts, flip-flops, and lacy bra from the night before.

You feel your stomach churn as your mind plays over the only thing this could mean. You'd slept with Stretch. In your drunken haze, you had come on to him and he'd reciprocated. He had likely been drunk as well.

Gingerly, you pick up your shorts and begin to slide them up your legs. Your whole body feels cold, but you can't really say if it's because of the loss of the warmth from his bed or the realization that you may have ruined your friendship with Stretch. And, by association, Blue. As much as you adored the younger, smaller skeleton, you couldn't hang out with him and ask him to separate himself from his brother. Not only was that unfair and cruel, you knew he'd never go for it. He'd cut you out of his life before he'd ask his brother to stay away during your friendly dinner and movie nights.

You strip your tank top only long enough to put on your bra, then dress again. Your feet slip into your flip-flops, and you notice your phone sitting on the table beside the bed. You pick it up and realize that Stretch had plugged it into his charger. Your heart felt heavy as you unplugged it. He was too sweet.

You sat back down on the edge of the bed as you looked through your phone. Some of the pictures from the night before had you smiling, some had you grimacing, but one had you nearly in tears. Stretch held the phone out, the bright orange sleeve of his sweatshirt taking up nearly a third of the picture. The smile on your lips was lopsided and so very drunk, and your eyes were hazy. His bony eyelids were low, and he had a soft tangerine glow on his cheekbones as he held you close to him with an arm around your shoulders. Your face was beet red, probably blushing at some flirt you'd said to him. You could practically see yourself holding out the phone to him and declaring the need for a selfie with him. His arms were so much longer and so he was far more capable of yielding a decent photo.

With a sigh, you stand back up and slip the phone into your pocket. It's nearly ten in the morning; far past time you should be up. You were honestly a little surprised Blue hadn't come in to wake you up. Then again, maybe he was afraid he'd find you indecent. You felt your face flush again—you were loud when you were sober; how much had Blue heard the night before?

Curiosity urged your forward to find out exactly how messed up things were, but at the same time, fear held you back.

Before you can make up your mind, a soft knock on the door makes you jump. The door opens to reveal Stretch dressed in a long black tank top and khaki cargo shorts that went to his knees. He starts at the sight of you up and dressed.

"oh. hey, honey. you're up?"

His deep voice was usually so soothing to you. You loved the nickname he'd given you, even if he was the one that smelled like honey.

You shove your hands into your pockets and look down at your feet. "Um, yeah. I was just gonna come down."

He nodded and held out a bony hand. "breakfast is ready. how you feelin'?"

A part of you wonders if breakfast is usually a thing he does with his girls as you take his hand. Another part of you realizes that's probably not the case. He was the king of lazy and never expended any kind of effort he didn't need to. What was this about then? Maybe Blue had convinced him to invite you to eat with them?

"I'm okay, I think. My head hurts."

He pulls you out the door and shuts it behind him before leading you down the hall. "i'll accept the fact that you're not hunched over the toilet puking or writhing in hungover agony as a thank you for making you drink water."

You didn't remember that. Still, knowing how sloshed you'd been the night before, it really was a miracle you weren't more hungover. "Thanks, Stretch." You squeezed his fingers.

At the table, he pulls out a chair for you. Ever the gentleman. You smile at him, then at Blue who was happily munching away at a small mountain of pancakes on his plate.

"GOOD MORNING!" he shouts happily. It was almost too loud for your headache to handle. "DID YOU SLEEP WELL, Y/N?"

You give him a small smile as Stretch loads your plate with two medium-sized pancakes, two slices of bacon, and a small pile of eggs. "I think so?" You glance at Stretch out of the corner of your eye, nervous to say much. "I, um…can't really remember much." Stars, did you wish you could. There was no doubt in your mind that Stretch was an incredible lover. It only hurt worse to know that you'd finally had him and couldn't even remember it.

But Stretch didn't seem affected by that. He sat down coolly after pouring syrup on your pancakes and honey on his own and started eating.

Blue gave you a disapproving look. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ALCOHOL ALWAYS HAS TO BE INVOLVED! I NEVER SAID IT WAS OKAY, BUT SOMEONE BROUGHT IT AND I COULDN'T CONTROL IT AFTER THAT." He huffs and gives his pancakes a frown.

You feel bad for a moment; you knew he didn't approve of alcohol use, especially yours. You were his friend, though, and so he worried about you more than other people.

"I'm sorry, Blue," you say sincerely.

He perks up, giving you his blinding grin. "IT'S OKAY, Y/N. AT LEAST YOU'RE OKAY. STRETCH AND I WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU LAST NIGHT. THAT'S WHY STRETCH HAD YOU SLEEP WITH HIM!"

You nearly choke on a bite of eggs. Why was Blue so approving of this? You knew all about how much he hated his brother's flings. He wanted his brother to stop using women and get to a mental place where he felt he could have a relationship again. Your sleeping with him last night wasn't exactly conducive to that plan. You cast a tentative glance at Stretch who was just watching you with his usual patient gleam in his sockets. You caught the slightest hint of tangerine on his cheekbones and the way his sockets flitted to his brother for a half a second, though.

"in my bed, he means," Stretch said, the color on his face darkening slightly.

Blue huffed. "WELL OF COURSE; WHAT ELSE WOULD I—OH." His whole face turned bright cyan. "THAT WAS NOT WHAT I MEANT WHEN I TOLD YOU TO TAKE HER TO YOUR ROOM, PAPYRUS!"

The small skeleton rarely got angry. And by rarely, that meant you had only seen it happen once in the five years you'd known the skeleton brothers. It had been a terrifying experience you really didn't want to repeat ever again. You flinch as he all but roared at his brother, his cute little voice now a scary growl. He stands up, placing his fists on the table, knuckles down, and leaned over slightly. His eye lights, usually bright blue stars, were small circles that seemed to shiver in his sockets.

Stretch was a guy you had never seen angry before. Even when his long-term girlfriend cheated on him. At that time, he'd gotten sad and drunk and made some questionable choices, but he wasn't even angry enough to raise his voice. Once, when Blue had had his fit, you'd seen Stretch's eyes light up with magic, but even then he hadn't gotten out of his seat. The way he calmly set his napkin down and stood up was somehow terrifying to you.

Before he could say anything, you stand up and quickly throw your arms out between he brothers. You tried to push Blue back, but he wasn't budging.

"Guys, hey, calm down." You give up trying to push Blue down, so you step toward Stretch and wrap your arms around one of his to try to get him to sit back down. No such luck. "You don't need to fight over this. It's no big deal, right?" So what if your chance to have a relationship with the skeleton you loved had been ruined by your drunken ass?

"IT IS A BIG DEAL!" Blue screeches. "YOU WERE DRUNK!" He punches the table, causing the dishes to clatter.

"sans." Stretch's voice was far too calm. You look up at him, a bit surprised to see his eyes alight with his signature orange magic. "i'm going to take our friend home, and then you and i are going to talk." He pulls his arm from your grasp to take a step back and then looks down at you. "got what you came with?"

You swallow and nod; you had walked over and had only brought your phone with you so you could take pictures.

Stretch walks away to get his shoes on. His strides are long and heavy, betraying the emotion he's clearly trying to hide.

Blue steps up to you and grips your hand, holding tightly. "I THINK I SHOULD TAKE HER HOME, BROTHER. YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS HAS CLEARLY BEEN COMPROMISED."

To your surprise, Stretch doesn't make a joke out of his brother's comments. Instead, he stalks up to the both of you, his entire stance rigid. You can feel Blue getting tense beside you. It's worrisome, to say the least. As Stretch gets closer, you hear a deep rumble. Is he growling?

"back. off. bro."

Yes, he's definitely growling. Despite your fear of his current state, you can't help but feel a shot of pleasure run through your gut. Damn, why does that skeleton have to be so hot? Seeing him like this—powerful and damn near feral—made you want to jump him right there. It would only be fair to get a repeat performance of the night before since you couldn't remember, right?

Blue is obviously startled by his brother's state as well. You can feel him start to shake next to you, clearly affected by his brother's command. Instead of obeying, however, he pushes you back a little and straightens his spine.

It occurs to you that he's standing up to his older brother for you. He's defending you. Either because he's really scared for you (that didn't make you feel very nice) or because he was trying to protect what honor you might have left after the night before. You want to put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him, but a memory of sharp, magical bones and the danger they represented made you stop.

"I CAN'T DO THAT, PAPY. SHE MEANS TOO MUCH TO ME. I'M SORRY, BUT I CAN'T LET YOU HURT HER AGAIN."

Whatever may have happened last night, you were absolutely certain it hadn't hurt. You wanted to say as much, but Stretch was advancing again.

"i'm sorry you can't see how much she means to me, too. i'm sorry you think i'd hurt her." He turns his attention to you. "you scared 'a me?"

Your brow furrows. "No, of course not."

"not even after what my bro thinks i did last night?" He shoves his hands into his sweater pockets, glaring at you as though your answer to this question was about to change his world.

You swallow and slowly shake your head. "No. I know you'd never hurt me." Physically, anyway. And it really wasn't his fault that continuing his cycle of one-night stands would hurt you. That was your own damn fault.

His sockets narrow, and he takes a small step closer. "what do you remember from last night?"

"Um…I, uh, remember coming over and dancing, drinking of course…flirting with you." You look down and catch Blue staring up at you. He only came to your shoulder. You place a gentle hand on the back of his skull. "I'm glad that I mean so much to you, Blue," you say softly, "but Stretch didn't hurt me last night."

To your surprise, Blue doesn't seem to calm down at all. Instead, he shakes a little harder, and you catch the sight of cyan tears gathering in his sockets.

"YOU CAN'T GIVE YOUR FULL CONSENT IF YOUR INHIBITIONS ARE LOWERED," he said, surprisingly softly. "NO MATTER HOW WILLING YOU ARE WHEN YOU'RE SOBER." He shot a look at Stretch then.

Stretch growled again. "i figured we'd talk about this separately since it's not really a family affair, but okay. let's do this." He grabbed Blue's hand and tugged him forward, making him sit down in the chair he'd pulled out. He then grips your arm, and has you sit back in your seat. He stands between the two of you. "nothing happened last night, despite y/n's attempts." He looks at you. "you are a fucking temptress. but blue's right; you were drunk, and your consent was compromised." He then looks at Blue. "i'm not a rapist, bro. i didn't touch your precious human. she came on to me, and i pushed her away. you know, i think maybe it _is_ best you take her home. i can't even believe my own brother thinks so little of me."

He turns on his heel and marches up the steps to his room. His door slammed so hard the pictures on the wall rattled.

You flinch and stare down at the uneaten remains of your breakfast. You'd only had a few bites, but you are suddenly the opposite of hungry.

"I'm sorry."

You look over at Blue, surprised by his tiny voice. You'd never heard him utter anything at such a low volume before. He stared down at his hands, still shaking, although you figure it's probably for a different reason now. He sniffles, another sound you'd never heard him make before, and looks up at you.

"I'm really sorry, y/n. I messed up."

You reach over the table to put a hand on his arm. "It's okay, Blue. I couldn't remember what had happened last night. Based on how I was dressed this morning, I assumed we'd slept together. I mean…you know what I mean." You blush and can't help but smile at the cyan that spread across his cheekbones.

He nodded contritely. "I do know." He sucked in a deep breath and let out a little whimper as he breathed out. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I made a bad assumption and didn't listen when he tried to correct me."

You're both silent for a few minutes. You aren't sure what to say. You really want to talk to Stretch, but you can't be sure that now is a good time to approach him. Instead, you decide to try to pick at your breakfast.

Blue sighs deeply and straightens his spine. "EAT YOUR BREAKFAST, Y/N," he says with gusto, seemingly feeling a little better since he was nearly shouting again. "THE MAGNIFICENT SANS KNOWS WHEN TO ADMIT FAULT. I…I NEED TO GO TALK TO MY BROTHER." He got up and stood beside you for a moment, looking at the stairs with something akin to dread written on his bony face. His hands curl into fists of determination, and he all but charges up the stairs to face his brother.

You try your hardest to mind your own business when you hear a timid knock on Stretch's door. Stretch's deep voice answers, but you can't make out what he says. He must have granted Blue entrance, because the little guy soon disappeared into his brother's room. Half of your attention is on the food in front of you, while the other half is on the voices you can hear carrying from upstairs. You still can't make out words, but from the tones it seems as if they're making up. You really hope that's the case. You would hate yourself if your stupid decisions caused a rift between them.

It wasn't long before the voices stopped, and everything went quiet. You'd eaten as much as you could, so you waited for a few moments to see if either skeleton was going to come down to walk you home. You didn't need them to; you only lived five houses down. Still, they'd made it a point to walk you home after every single night you'd spent with them. Even Stretch would walk with you rather than teleporting, saying you needed the exercise. You'd given him dirty looks the first few times he'd said that, but he soon explained that he'd read how good physical activity was for humans and never wanted your health to suffer because he teleported you places. You had accepted his justification only because walking with him meant you got more time with him, and you secretly hoped that was his real reason as well.

Ten minutes pass and the house was still silent. You drink the rest of your glass of water and decide you should probably head home. Not wanting to interrupt whatever bonding the skeletons were up to, you sent a longing look up the stairs and left the house.

The walk home was slow. Summer heat was already bearing down on you, and you're sweating by the time you make it to your door. You slip your key out from the little slot behind your phone case and let yourself in. You send a quick text to both Blue and Stretch, letting them know that you'd made it home safely, and then decide that you need a shower. You smell like alcohol and body odor.

The shower refreshes you. You let the water drizzle down your body, cleaning away all outward evidence of the party the night before. As you wash your hair, you think hard about what all had happened before you'd likely passed out. You vaguely remember hands on your waist—fleshy hands that feel nothing like Stretch's bones. Halitosis mixed with the acrid scent of alcohol fills your memory, and your nose scrunches.

The memory becomes clearer as you shave your legs and your armpits. A somewhat familiar, unpleasantly high-pitched man's voice was asking you to go home with him. You had wanted to be with Stretch, but he hadn't been responding to your flirtation moves. You had been close to actually going home with the guy before suddenly your face was plunged into Stretch's chest and you were dancing with him. You recall pressing your ear to his sternum, enjoying a deep rumble as it reverberated around in his chest. He'd been growling last night.

It hadn't been long after that when you were all but dragging him up the stairs to his room. You can't remember if he was the one to suggest going to bed or if you had brought it up first. Either way, the moment his door shut you tried to kiss him. You'd taken off your bra to try to entice him. You'd even stripped your shorts off in strip-tease fashion, gyrating your hips as you tried to seduce him.

In your memory, his face was stoic and cold. His hands touched you only enough to guide you to the bed, covered you up, and gave you a soft kiss to your forehead, and then he'd disappeared.

He'd said something, just before he was gone. You had smiled at the soft rumble of his voice against your ear. What had he said?

You cut off the water and reach out to grab the towel off the rack. As you dry off, you replay that moment in your mind over and over again, trying to make sense of what seemed like a jumbled mess of baritone breath against your skin. Whatever he'd said had made you smile and snuggle into his sheets. Hell if you could remember it now, though.

You wrap yourself in your towel and get to work drying your hair. Once that task is complete, you head to your room to pick out clothes for the day. Since it's the weekend and you don't have any plans, you choose a comfortable t-shirt and sweat pants. You grab your phone and head to the couch to slack off and watch some Netflix. Just before you turn on the TV, however, you decide to check your phone. You have a message from Stretch.

 _ **TolBoi**_ _: we need 2 talk_

You feel yourself starting to dread this conversation. He'd called you a temptress, but that didn't mean he was interested in you. Based on the types of women you'd seen him bring home, you were pretty sure he didn't have a favorite body type, so maybe he could be attracted to your form. That didn't mean he'd want to be with you. He could very well be repulsed by the idea of sleeping with someone he knew.

You suck in a breath and decide that you can't hide from this. You need to try to work through this so maybe you can save your friendship.

 _ **You:**_ _I'm showered and dressed. No plans today._

You hesitate before hitting the send button. You feel like you should say more. Instead, you bite your lip and send the message. You wait a few minutes to see if he'll reply before going ahead with your plans and turning on the TV.

A half an hour passes before you get a reply. You pause your show and check the message.

 _ **TolBoi:**_ _gonna head out in a min see u soon_

Okay, now your stomach is turning. You get up and pour yourself a glass of water before going back to your show. Not fifteen minutes later, there's a knock at your door. You can feel your palms sweating as you get up to answer it.

Stretch is there in all his handsome glory. The guy really is tall. The top of your head barely reaches his shoulders. You step back and let him in. He hasn't changed from his tank top and shorts, and now he's paired it with dark sunglasses with a cute strap around his skull and a pair of bright orange crocs. Him and his orange things. You smile as he lifts the sunglasses to rest against the top of his skull.

"hey."

You shut and lock the door behind him. He raises an eyebrow like he does every single time you do that. He had once joked about you locking him in. It was a habit to lock the door every time you closed it, and you didn't intend on changing it. Instead you turned to rest against the door.

"Hey."

You can't help but notice him looking you over. Was he remembering the night before? Was he thinking about how you'd moved your body in an attempt to seduce him? You sure as hell were. Instead of dwelling on that, you push away from the door and lead the way to the couch. He sits beside you, trying to appear laid back like usual, but you can tell he's hiding some hesitation.

"about last night…honey, i didn't…"

His face was bright orange. He sat up, giving up trying to appear nonchalant, and started wringing his hands together between his knees.

"I know you didn't, Stretch." You lean forward as well and reach out to put a hand on his left radius. "I kind of started remembering things. I'm sorry for what I did."

He pulls his arm from your grasp, and your heart is about to plummet when he takes your hand instead. He looks at you then, and you can see the trepidation in his eye lights.

"i couldn't let you leave with that guy. he'd been hitting on you since you started showing signs of being drunk, and it really took everything i had to not knock him out. when you started acting like you were going for it, i couldn't even try to control myself anymore. when you started stumbling around, blue suggested we keep you at our place for the night where we could keep an eye on you. i agreed, but we couldn't let you sleep on the couch when there were still people everywhere. that's why i took you to my room."

"I remember leading you up the stairs."

He smirks. "yeah. i suggested we get you to bed, meaning sleep, and your drunken brain apparently took it a different way."

You wince. "I really am sorry for that, Stretch. I don't even know what to say."

"don't say anything. you were drunk off your ass and clearly horny. i get it. didn't know you felt that way for me, though."

And here we go. You suck in a deep breath and let it out slowly, nodding as you did. "Yeah. About that."

He looks at you deeply, somehow seeming vulnerable in that moment. "do you really feel that way about me?"

You want to deny it. You want to pretend it was all the alcohol so you could guarantee your friendship with him, but that felt wrong. Instead, you find yourself nodding.

"Yeah, I do. I have for a while." You look down at your hand in his, suddenly enthralled by his phalanges.

"how long's a while?"

You shrug one shoulder. "Roughly two years."

"goddamn, honey." His fingers tighten around yours. "why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I didn't want to ruin our friendship. At first, I thought I felt that way because you stopped me from hurting myself. By the time I realized that wasn't the case—I actually, properly love you—you were with that bitch. Then she did what she did, and you weren't interested in romance anymore. Well, not long-term romance. I didn't want to be a fling only to have it put a strain on everything else we have."

His thumb runs across the back of your hand soothingly. He's quiet for a few long moments, and you can only assume he's thinking about how he feels about your confession. You tell yourself not to hold your breath; he doesn't feel the same.

"i'm sorry."

You look up at him then, confused by his response. "Why?"

He lifts your hand to his mouth, gently kissing the back of it. "because i let you believe you wouldn't be enough for me. i can't tell you how many times i wanted to ask you out. i was worried you'd think i was only asking for a quick fuck, so i kept my mouth shut. if i'd known how you felt, i could have…i don't know. done something different."

Your brow furrows. "What are you saying?" He couldn't mean what you think he means…could he?

"i mean, i would give anything to try with you, honey. not sex; not yet. let me take you to dinner, and we can see where this goes? i'll be done with bringin' other girls home. you're enough for me, honey. you've always been enough, but i've been too scared to ask."

He looks vulnerable again, staring into your eyes like your answer could either make him the happiest person alive or crush his soul. You smile, his words filling you with joy.

Instead of a verbal response, you lean forward and press your lips to his mouth. He stiffens momentarily before he melts into the kiss. One hand slips from yours to be placed gently on the side of your head, his palm resting on your cheek while his fingers slip into your hair. Your hand in his tightens its hold while your other hand reached up to touch his jaw.

You pull away from the kiss only far enough to see him. Your smile threatens to break your face in half at his flushed cheekbones. He smirks at you.

"i didn't quite get that, honey. i think you need to run that by me again."

You snort before leaning in and kissing him again. You sit together on the couch, sharing soft kisses for a while before something comes to your mind. You sit back and lick your lips.

"Um, Stretch?" You're not entirely sure how to ask this, but you are insanely curious.

Stretch just hums and pulls you in close to him as he sits back on the couch. You adjust yourself to be more comfortable against his bones.

"After you got me into bed last night, you said something. I can't, for the life of me, remember what it was. What did you say?" You squirm just enough to look up at him.

His face is bright orange. He mumbles something so quiet you can't understand him.

"What?"

He laughs, clearly nervous about something. "i, uh…" a cough "…well, i was kinda countin' on you not remembering it, so it's not something i would normally say. ever."

Oh, this was going to be good. You sit up just enough to turn and lean against him again, this time pressing your chest against his. You place a gentle kiss on his mouth. "So it was something sexual?"

"mm-hmm. i shouldn't have said it. i really wanted to give in last night, honey. i mean, it wasn't that hard to keep my hands to myself because you were drunk, but at the same time i want you so badly." His hands gripped your waist and held tightly. "i said, and i quote: 'come onto me like this again when you're sober and i'll fuck you better than you've ever been fucked before.'"

You feel your face ignite and your whole body begins to throb. You really hate being sober sometimes simply because you make more responsible decisions. You know that jumping into the sack with him now would be a bad idea. You need to get used to each other in a romantic way before exploring the emotions sex would bring up.

Stretch feels the same way. He presses a soft kiss to your forehead. "let me take you out a few times before you come onto me like that again, yeah?"

You smile and kiss him back. "I can do that."


	2. Take 2 - Blue Doesn't Freak Out

A/N: This is the second part. This is more along the lines of what I had in my head when I started writing the story. I wasn't sure how realistic it was for Blue to react the way he did, so this is kind of a "what if" scenario where Blue doesn't freak out. I like both versions too much to let one sit and collect cyber-dust on my hard drive, so here you go. Let me know which one you like better!

Because this is a re-telling of the previous chapter, the set-up and beginning portion is the same. The part in italics is exactly the same stuff you read in chapter 1. To skip all that jazz and go directly to the new stuff, you can either scroll until you get to not-italicized story, or you can hit Ctrl and F on your keyboard and search for "Nobody says anything" and that'll take you right there.

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The Morning After  
Take Two - Blue Doesn't Freak Out

 _You wake up slowly to the smell of honey, cigarette smoke, and basil. The scent is intoxicating, inviting you to nuzzle your face closer to the source and suck in a deep breath. The pillow beneath your head is soft and the blankets warm. Despite the ache in your head, you had never felt more comfortable in all your life._

 _You take in another breath and your lips spread in a soft smile. You really didn't want to admit you were awake. You would highly prefer to stay snuggled up in warm blankets that smelled like the skeleton you'd been crushing on for the past two years._

 _Suddenly, your eyes spring open. Why, you wonder, were you enveloped by his scent? You take a moment to look around you. Although you'd been in Stretch's room before, you'd never been in his bed. Not even for a quick nap, regardless of how many times he'd invited you there. His invitations had never been sexual; he had merely insisted that you could sleep in his bed if you'd stayed too long playing video games or watching movies with him and his brother. Blue had offered his bed as well, and you likened Stretch's invitation to Blue's: friendly and polite. You'd never taken Blue up on his offer, either, worried you might cause tension between you and Stretch if he thought you were deliberately avoiding his offer._

 _So why were you now waking up in Stretch's bed? As you look around his room for the fifth time, trying to come to terms with the fact that you were actually where you thought you were, you thought over the events of the night before._

 _You had come to the summer party Blue had thrown for whatever occasion—the small-statured and energetic skeleton could turn almost anything into a reason for a party—and had indulged perhaps a little too much in the alcohol that had been brought. You remembered dancing with people you barely knew, human and monster alike, before finally dancing with Stretch. You may have let your inhibitions go a little too far. You remembered flirting with him. Stars be damned, you actually flirted with him. You'd even tried to kiss him._

 _You sigh and bring a hand up to your forehead. What had you done? You and the skeleton brothers had an easy friendship. You could drop by at any time to hang out, watch movies, vent your frustrations over your shitty job and careless friends, or anything you felt you needed. Blue was always quick to lend a metaphorical ear, and he had some of the best advice anyone had ever given you. Stretch never judged you, even when you broke down one night and confessed to thoughts of hurting yourself. He'd held you on the couch and listed off reasons you should love yourself instead._

 _That night had been the first time you realized you liked the skeleton more than as a friend. At first, you thought it was simply because of how vulnerable you'd been and how calmly he'd reacted, not taking advantage of your state or telling you that you were somehow broken. You'd had other friends who had done just that, and it never ended well._

 _So you never said anything to him. You didn't want to risk playing with his emotions if your feelings were going to fade back into friendship._

 _But they never did. Even after you fought about the stupidest of shit and you'd seen firsthand just how low his lows could be, you only felt more attracted to him. By the time you'd convinced yourself that maybe you wouldn't end up breaking his heart, he was already involved in a relationship. You refused to bring it up at that point. You would not be the one to put any strain on his happiness._

 _His relationship had lasted a full year before the girl cheated on him. It had torn him apart so fully that he swore he'd never commit to another relationship. You wanted to try to help him, but you weren't sure how. After that, you noticed his interest in women changed from steady partners to one-night stands. As badly as you wanted to be with him, you knew you wouldn't be able to handle being something fleeting to him. You wanted commitment, and he wasn't into that anymore._

 _You sit up and carefully drag a hand through your tousled hair. As you shifted to swing your legs over the edge of the bed, your body stilled. You look down at yourself and realize that you're wearing a tight blank tank top—no bra—and stringy thong underwear. On the floor next to bed were your far-too-short jean shorts, flip-flops, and lacy bra from the night before._

 _You feel your stomach churn as your mind plays over the only thing this could mean. You'd slept with Stretch. In your drunken haze, you had come on to him and he'd reciprocated. He had likely been drunk as well._

 _Gingerly, you pick up your shorts and begin to slide them up your legs. Your whole body feels cold, but you can't really say if it's because of the loss of the warmth from his bed or the realization that you may have ruined your friendship with Stretch. And, by association, Blue. As much as you adored the younger, smaller skeleton, you couldn't hang out with him and ask him to separate himself from his brother. Not only was that unfair and cruel, you knew he'd never go for it. He'd cut you out of his life before he'd ask his brother to stay away during your friendly dinner and movie nights._

 _You strip your tank top only long enough to put on your bra, then dress again. Your feet slip into your flip-flops, and you notice your phone sitting on the table beside the bed. You pick it up and realize that Stretch had plugged it into his charger. Your heart felt heavy as you unplugged it. He was too sweet._

 _You sat back down on the edge of the bed as you looked through your phone. Some of the pictures from the night before had you smiling, some had you grimacing, but one had you nearly in tears. Stretch held the phone out, the bright orange sleeve of his sweatshirt taking up nearly a third of the picture. The smile on your lips was lopsided and so very drunk, and your eyes were hazy. His bony eyelids were low, and he had a soft tangerine glow on his cheekbones as he held you close to him with an arm around your shoulders. Your face was beet red, probably blushing at some flirt you'd said to him. You could practically see yourself holding out the phone to him and declaring the need for a selfie with him. His arms were so much longer and so he was far more capable of yielding a decent photo._

 _With a sigh, you stand back up and slip the phone into your pocket. It's nearly ten in the morning; far past time you should be up. You were honestly a little surprised Blue hadn't come in to wake you up. Then again, maybe he was afraid he'd find you indecent. You felt your face flush again—you were loud when you were sober; how much had Blue heard the night before?_

 _Curiosity urged your forward to find out exactly how messed up things were, but at the same time, fear held you back._

 _Before you can make up your mind, a soft knock on the door makes you jump. The door opens to reveal Stretch dressed in a long black tank top and khaki cargo shorts that went to his knees. He starts at the sight of you up and dressed._

 _"oh. hey, honey. you're up?"_

 _His deep voice was usually so soothing to you. You loved the nickname he'd given you, even if he was the one that smelled like honey._

 _You shove your hands into your pockets and look down at your feet. "Um, yeah. I was just gonna come down."_

 _He nodded and held out a bony hand. "breakfast is ready. how you feelin'?"_

 _A part of you wonders if breakfast is usually a thing he does with his girls as you take his hand. Another part of you realizes that's probably not the case. He was the king of lazy and never expended any kind of effort he didn't need to. What was this about then? Maybe Blue had convinced him to invite you to eat with them?_

 _"I'm okay, I think. My head hurts."_

 _He pulls you out the door and shuts it behind him before leading you down the hall. "i'll accept the fact that you're not hunched over the toilet puking or writhing in hungover agony as a thank you for making you drink water."_

 _You didn't remember that. Still, knowing how sloshed you'd been the night before, it really was a miracle you weren't more hungover. "Thanks, Stretch." You squeezed his fingers._

 _At the table, he pulls out a chair for you. Ever the gentleman. You smile at him, then at Blue who was happily munching away at a small mountain of pancakes on his plate._

 _"GOOD MORNING!" he shouts happily. It was almost too loud for your headache to handle. "DID YOU SLEEP WELL, Y/N?"_

 _You give him a small smile as Stretch loads your plate with two medium-sized pancakes, two slices of bacon, and a small pile of eggs. "I think so?" You glance at Stretch out of the corner of your eye, nervous to say much. "I, um…can't really remember much." Stars, did you wish you could. There was no doubt in your mind that Stretch was an incredible lover. It only hurt worse to know that you'd finally had him and couldn't even remember it._

 _But Stretch didn't seem affected by that. He sat down coolly after pouring syrup on your pancakes and honey on his own and started eating._

 _Blue gave you a disapproving look. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ALCOHOL ALWAYS HAS TO BE INVOLVED! I NEVER SAID IT WAS OKAY, BUT SOMEONE BROUGHT IT AND I COULDN'T CONTROL IT AFTER THAT." He huffs and gives his pancakes a frown._

 _You feel bad for a moment; you knew he didn't approve of alcohol use, especially yours. You were his friend, though, and so he worried about you more than other people._

 _"I'm sorry, Blue," you say sincerely._

 _He perks up, giving you his blinding grin. "IT'S OKAY, Y/N. AT LEAST YOU'RE OKAY. STRETCH AND I WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU LAST NIGHT. THAT'S WHY STRETCH HAD YOU SLEEP WITH HIM!"_

 _You nearly choke on a bite of eggs. Why was Blue so approving of this? You knew all about how much he hated his brother's flings. He wanted his brother to stop using women and get to a mental place where he felt he could have a relationship again. Your sleeping with him last night wasn't exactly conducive to that plan. You cast a tentative glance at Stretch who was just watching you with his usual patient gleam in his sockets. You caught the slightest hint of tangerine on his cheekbones and the way his sockets flitted to his brother for a half a second, though._

 _"in my bed, he means," Stretch says, the color on his face darkening slightly._

Nobody says anything else for a few long minutes. Stretch clears his throat and takes a sip of his water before finally breaking the silence.

"whatcha got goin' on today, honey?" he asked.

You shrug. "Not much. I was thinkin' about taking a shower and then binge watching that show you told me about."

He smirks. "yeah? care for some company?"

You were about to ask for which part when you thought better of it. Although you really wouldn't mind his company in the shower, you weren't sure where you stood with him. It might be a good idea to hash that out before you go and sleep with him again. On the other hand, a part of you argues, you didn't remember the sex and talking about things before showering with him might destroy your chances of getting a reprisal.

You suck in a deep breath and nod. "Yeah, that would be great."

"STRETCH, YOU HAVE CHORES TO DO TODAY; YOU CAN'T GO OFF BOONDOGGLING WITH THE HUMAN BEFORE YOU'VE COMPLETED YOUR HOUSEWORK."

You were pretty sure you'd woken up to some kind of alternate reality. Blue was actually okay with this? He hadn't said anything against your being intimate with his brother, merely that Stretch had to do meaningful work first. You take a drink of your water, hoping to quell the headache that was only starting to get worse.

Stretch chuckles. "sure, bro." He turns to you. "wanna help a guy scrub the kitchen floor?"

You nearly spit out your water. Goddamn, how far in the gutter could you get? He was talking about cleaning, not screwing you in the kitchen!

He laughed out loud then, amused by your overly shocked response.

"jeez, honey, i was only joking. i know you're allergic to cleaning and all, so it's okay."

The three of you finished breakfast in relative peace after that. You help Stretch with the dishes, amazed at how normal he was acting. Once they're done, he invites you out onto the porch for a smoke. You wrinkle your nose but follow him anyway, not willing to let him out of your sight for fear that you'll wake up again. Naturally, this has to be a dream.

Stretch leans against the side of the house and pulls a new pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. He smacks the pack against his palm a few times before unwrapping the cellophane and stuffing it in a small trash can sitting beside a small bench. You often wonder why he never chooses to sit on the bench, but you stand with him anyway. Your eyes follow his hands as they pull the tinfoil away from the neatly packed cigarettes and tosses it as well. He then pulls one out and puts it between his teeth before lighting it and sucking in.

His movements have you mesmerized, like they do every time you watch him. He puts the pack and the lighter back in his pocket before taking the cigarette between his fore and middle fingers. His exhale is long and easy, smoke billowing from between his teeth and his nasal cavity.

"you okay?" he asks, his voice a little tight.

You meet the lights in his sockets and realize that you're tense. While your conscious mind has been transfixed on what he's been doing, something inside you has been coiling up at the idea of those hands roaming your body. You wish there was an easy way to ask him to do it again.

Instead, you nod and force your body to relax. "I'm good."

"what do you remember from last night?" He takes another long drag and turns his head to blow the smoke away from you.

You lick your lips and shift your weight. You want to lie, but there was no use. What if he didn't remember it, though? What if that was why he was acting so normal? He might not know how to act around you if he…but if he did remember, then he'd catch your lie and you'd be screwed in a decidedly unpleasant way.

"Not much," you confess. You look down as you ask your question. "What about you?"

"i remember everything. i really wasn't that drunk." He takes another drag and shifts his weight to his other foot, still leaning against the side of the house.

You look up then, worried. There was something strange in his tone; something you weren't sure how to place. Not sad or regretful, but…longing, maybe? You suck in a deep breath, certain you were overthinking things. But, if he wasn't that drunk, then either he'd already wanted to sleep with you or you had to push hard to get what you wanted. The thought of _convincing_ him to sleep with you made your gut churn.

"Was I pushy?" you managed.

He chuckled, but you caught the faint tint of tangerine on his cheekbones. "oh, honey, you wouldn't stop for nothin'."

You cringed. That meant he'd pushed back. "I'm sorry."

"it's okay, really. i just didn't realize you felt that way."

He stared at you then, his eye lights boring into you in a way you hadn't felt in a long time. It was as if he was trying to decipher your true motives. You crossed your arms over your chest, more a gesture to hide yourself than to block him out.

"how long _have_ you felt that way, honey?"

You really didn't want to answer that. Mostly because you didn't want him to think you were pathetic, or that you only spent time with him because you wanted to sleep with him. You truly valued his friendship. That was the whole reason you'd kept it from him to begin with, and now you couldn't help but feel that you'd ruined everything.

"honey?"

He drops the spent cig and stomps it out with his sandaled toes. Your eyes travel up his legs, stopping briefly at his arms extending from his pockets—or were you staring at his crotch? You weren't entirely sure—before moving on to his chest. You admired his broad shoulders and how you could see so much bone with the tank top he was wearing. You'd often found yourself appreciating his bones, wondering silently what they would feel like under your lips and how they might taste. Had you done that last night?

Before you could really comprehend what was going on, he pushed away from the wall and pulled you into a tight hug. The top of your head barely met his shoulder, so you found your face pressed tightly against his ribs. Your arms wrapped around him almost entirely reflexively. Before he could pull away, you pressed your nose to his shirt and inhaled deeply. He smelled so good! His scent was the perfect mixture of sweet honey, cigarette smoke, and the mint he would sometimes chew on to quell his smoke cravings.

"A long time," you finally manage to say. "I'm so sorry, Stretch. All I can say in my defense is that I was drunk, but I know that's no excuse. I can't even blame you if you…" Your voice caught, too scared to finish that sentence.

"shh, it's okay." His arms tighten almost painfully for a brief moment before he lets you go entirely. He doesn't push you away, not fully, but he does inch back far enough to look down at you. One hand rests on your shoulder while the other cups your cheek. "you don't remember what happened, so i'm going to enlighten you."

Your whole face burst into flame at that, and you pull away from him as if he'd just burned you. "I, um…" Stars, you want this. You want this more than you can even say, but something doesn't feel right. "I'm pretty sure my attire this morning told me everything I need to know," you mumble. Why are you trying to talk him out of this? Didn't you want to be able to recall every single movement he made against you?

He coughs and pulls back then, actively pushing you away. You have no choice but to let go of him.

"i'm not sure if i should be offended."

You look up then, not sure what he means. His face is bright orange, and for some reason it catches you off guard. Before you can ask, he elaborates.

"you were drunk, honey. despite your…obvious intentions, your consent was compromised. we didn't have sex." He pulls out his pack of cigarettes and lighter again, his hands shaking lightly as he lights another one. "you were damn convincing, but i'm not an idiot. there were too many ways it could have gone wrong for both of us this morning."

You feel a massive weight lift from your shoulders. You hadn't even realized it then, but the idea of him accepting your advances while you were drunk had sat really wrong with you. You should have known the moment you woke up that he wouldn't have done that. Despite the cigarette hanging from his teeth, you push forward and hug him tightly around the ribs.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize that," you murmur. "I should have known."

A gruff laugh reverberates in his chest against your ear as one of his arms wraps around you. It feels nice. Neither of you say anything for a moment while he finishes his smoke. Once he's done with it, however, he pushes you away and leads you back inside. You help him do a few things around the kitchen, passing time and enjoying spending it with him. He jokes with you while at the same time telling you about the night before.

You'd had a group of unwanted suitors, all intent on convincing you to go home with them as if they were at a bar instead of a house party. Stretch had kept an eye out for you, taking your flirting in stride and trying not to think too much of it since you were clearly plastered. When you started returning one of the guys' advances, however, he had stepped in. He'd danced with you and put up with your nearly overbearing flirting because he couldn't let you get taken advantage of that way. He'd replaced your cup of alcohol with water and made sure you drank more than a few cups worth before he noticed your eyes drooping and your moves becoming less coordinated.

Blue had been the one to suggest that the brothers keep you at their house instead of taking you home. He was worried about you, and reasoned that if you were with them, they could keep an eye on you and make sure you were okay in the morning. So, Stretch had taken you up to his room and valiantly ignored the way you removed your bra and your shorts—you blush furiously when he talks about that part—and got you settled into his bed.

With the kitchen clean, he takes your hand and leads you to his room where you can finish your discussion in private. You have a feeling you're both going to need to say things you'd rather keep from the other, but you also know that these things need to be said.

"can't say i didn't admire your ass a little, though," he says, a wistful sigh on his breath as he sits on the edge of his mattress. "among other parts of you. but i didn't touch." He shakes his head. "kept my hands to myself." He's obviously proud of himself.

You sit beside him and smile. "Were you _really_ tempted? I mean, it's me." You grimace a little while gesturing to your body.

The look he gives you is bordering on exasperated, but there's a hint of something else there. "yeah, i was tempted. i mean, it's _you_." His arm snakes around your waist, his hand resting on your hip. "honey, i…you don't know what you mean to me." He keeps looking at you, holding your gaze with a strange ferocity that you'd never seen in his sockets before. "i haven't exactly been forthcoming about my feelings, mostly because i was scared. i need to ask you something, and i need you to be honest with me."

You nod, your whole body warming up nicely at the idea that he might actually want you the way you want him.

"was it just because you were drunk? maybe a bit lonely? or was it me?"

You understand his questions even if his wording is a little awkward. You keep eye contact with him as you answer, ensuring he'll see the honesty in your face. "It's you. Stretch, I'm nervous about this. I am, but we've come too far today for me to back down from this. I feel like I might not get another opportunity, so I have to tell you that I love you. I've loved you as a friend for a long time, but I've been in love with you for two years." You finally break eye contact, your sudden courage faltering. "Stars, I hope I don't regret this."

"i love you, too. not as just a friend; i mean i'm in love with you. i didn't realize it until last night when i got so jealous. it's been there a while though." He leans in and presses a toothy kiss to the side of your head.

He's done that before. The action itself wasn't foreign to you. But the intent behind it? Well, that was new. You feel your face blush as you turn your head to look at him. You stare at each other silently for a few short seconds before he leans in again and kisses your lips. You suck in a breath through your nose, your senses filling with the smell of him, as you kiss back. Your eyes slip closed, and you reach out to grasp his shoulder as his arm around you tightens and his fingers grip your hip a little harder. You open your mouth first, but he instantly follows. His tongue tastes like smoke and basil with a hint of sweetness that brings a soft moan to your throat. His other hand lodges in your hair, holding you close to him as your tongues dance together. In his kiss, you can feel his love for you and his intent to keep you as more than a quick release. You try to show him your own feelings in return.

You aren't sure who pulls back first, but as you stare at each other you imagine stars in your eyes like you've often seen in Blue's sockets. Stretch's eye lights briefly take on the shape of small hearts, and it makes you smile.

"we're gonna give this a try?" he asks softly.

You nod, eager to finally have this opportunity. "Yes, please."

The two of you share lazy kisses for a while, talking about silly things that you'd like to do together. He wants to take you to the observatory. You've gone with him before, but he wants to take you there on a date. You accept wholeheartedly; it sounds amazing. You want to take him ice skating; another thing you've done before but want to experience under a new light. Together, you establish that you are officially a couple, and you couldn't be happier.

You startle at a hard knock on Stretch's door.

"YOU BETTER NOT BE SLEEPING IN THERE!" Blue hollers, even though he could probably hear his brother talking. "WE'VE TALKED ABOUT YOUR EXCESSIVE NEED FOR NAPS, BROTHER!"

He snickers. "guess i should probably get back to work. it really is my day to clean the house."

You smile and lean into him. "I'll help."

He stands and offers a hand to help you up. "you don't hafta do that, honey."

"I know, but I want to spend my day with you."

His answering smile is so bright it nearly outshines his brother's grins. "i'd like that."

Blue is standing in the hallway when Stretch opens the door. He seems shocked to find you standing next to his brother. "OH! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE STILL HERE." He glances at his brother, then his eye lights land on your hand still in Stretch's. You make a point to lace your fingers together. Blue's eye lights nearly burst into stars as he realizes what that means, and his megawatt smile is contagious. "I KNEW YOU'D GET TOGETHER! I KNEW IT! ALPHYS OWES ME 20G!" He bounces down the hall, giggling the whole way.

"wait, what?"

You look up at Stretch as he sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "Guess the little guy knew something was up." Then you remember that morning, and your brow furrows. "Was that why he was so cool about letting me sleep in your bed last night?"

Stretch waves you off as he leads the way downstairs. "nah. he really was worried about you. he wanted one of us to stay with you, but he had to play host. he knew nothing would happen because you were drunk and i'm not the kind of guy to take advantage of that."

You nod your understanding and smile when you hear Blue's voice drifting down the stairs as he shrieks his victory over the phone. Stretch chuckles and pulls you close for another kiss before you both get to work cleaning the house.


End file.
